Chapter 16: The Battle of the Ridge
The moment the alarm echoed through the camp, chaos erupted. Alucard's sword flashed as he deflected a strike aimed at his head. His body moved on instinct, honed from years of training and hard-earned experience in battle. Around him, the once-quiet forest became a battleground, filled with the clanging of swords, the thud of arrows, and the cries of soldiers.
Garret barked orders, his voice cutting through the din of the fight. "Stay together! We can't afford to be separated!"
Jasper was already deep in the fray, his twin daggers a blur as he danced between enemies, taking them down with swift precision. Alucard admired the rogue's agility, but there was no time to watch. A large soldier barreled toward him, swinging a heavy mace. Alucard dodged, letting the mace crash into the ground before plunging his sword into the man's side. The soldier gasped and collapsed.
Seraphina's arrows whistled through the air, picking off enemies from the shadows. Each shot was precise, dropping foes before they even knew she was there. But for every enemy that fell, two more seemed to take their place. The sorcerer's forces were relentless, driven by a dark purpose that made them fight without fear.
A horn blared from the other side of the camp, signaling reinforcements. More soldiers were coming, and the Ironwood hunters who had accompanied them were starting to struggle under the sheer number of enemies.
"We need to end this quickly!" Alucard shouted, slashing through another opponent. He could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on them. The longer they fought, the more the odds shifted in the enemy's favor.
Garret grimaced as he parried an attack from a heavily armored knight. "We take down their commander. Without him, they'll fall into disarray."
Alucard nodded, eyes scanning the battlefield for their leader. Amidst the swirling chaos, he spotted a figure clad in black armor near the center of the camp. The man was barking orders, directing soldiers with ruthless efficiency. His presence alone commanded authority, and his aura radiated power—clearly, this was the leader.
"There!" Alucard pointed. "That's him!"
Garret saw the commander as well and charged forward with a roar, cutting a path through the soldiers between them. Alucard followed, his heart pounding as they closed in on their target.
The commander noticed them approaching and drew his own sword, stepping into the fray with deadly precision. He was no ordinary soldier. His movements were swift, practiced—almost inhumanly so. His sword clashed against Garret's with a force that sent shockwaves through the air.
Alucard joined the attack, flanking the commander with a powerful strike, but the man was quick. He parried Alucard's blow and spun with a vicious counterattack, forcing Alucard to leap back.
"You think you can defeat me?" the commander sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I am but a vessel of the sorcerer's power. You're nothing but insects."
Garret gritted his teeth, locking swords with the commander. "Insects or not, we'll crush you."
The commander laughed, a chilling sound that echoed through the battlefield. "You can try."
Alucard's mind raced. The commander was strong—too strong for a direct assault. But as the man focused on Garret, Alucard saw an opening. With a burst of speed, he darted around the commander's flank, driving his sword toward the weak spot in the armor beneath the man's arm.
The blade struck true.
The commander's laughter cut off abruptly as he gasped in pain. He staggered back, clutching the wound, his eyes wide with shock. Garret took advantage of the moment, driving his sword through the commander's chest, ending the fight with a single, decisive blow.
The battlefield fell silent for a moment, as if time itself had paused.
Without their leader, the remaining soldiers hesitated. Confusion rippled through their ranks, and then, as if a dam had broken, they began to flee, retreating into the shadows of the forest.
The outpost was theirs.